Finding Your Dog

THE PET TEACHER
In-YOUR-Home Dog Training
248-232-3655

FINDING YOUR DOG
Breeder, Shelter, Rescue, Pet Store, Broker

Adding a dog to your family is not as simple as “Ohhhh, he’s so cute -- I want THAT dog!”
Puppies and adult dogs require 100% commitment from you on a number of levels, and you
can read more about that on this website: Ready For A Puppy. Right now we want to talk
about breeders, shelters, rescues and pet stores, or the occasional pet adoption broker --
all places you can find a dog needing a home. But, not necessarily all good places for you or
the dog.

BREEDERS
This can be a really good option, so-so, or a really awful experience. Breeders can be
large, small, backyard, hobby, experienced or just having a fling because they think they
have cute dogs they absolutely must mate, plus an unspoken agenda that they think their
cute dogs can bring them several hundred dollars of quick money. Shame on them!

Unfortunately for you not all breeders are going to be forthcoming with needed
information, so it will be up to you to dig out their true qualifications.

What size are they? A large breeder might offer several litters at the same time from
different breeding dogs, or may offer several different breeds. The activists claim that
large breeders mean they are a puppy mill or substandard breeder. Since there is no
standard definition of a puppy mill, that assumption may or may not be accurate. A
substandard breeder, however, very well might be supplying lesser quality puppies to pet
stores. However, not all pet stores use large breeders. On the flip side, however, it
might just mean that this is a breeder who is successful and all they do for income is as a
breeder. It's just as possible that a large breeder might mean you are dealing with a lot
of successful experience. There are no standardized definitions, which are sorely needed!

Sadly enough, the ONLY breeders that are bound to regulations are those supplying
puppies to pet stores and are referred to as "professional breeders". These breeders
are regulated by the Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act. This
means that the "large" breeders have regulations, but those breeders you are likely to
encounter are NOT governed by any regulations or licensing. Never assume that because
someone claims to be a breeder that they are good breeder.

Want to know more about the Animal Welfare Act? Read these links:
http://www.aphis.usda.
gov/publications/animal_welfare/content/printable_version/fs_awawact.pdf is a short
fact sheet on the AWA
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/awa.shtml is a copy of the act
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/publications_and_reports.shtml is an in-depth
review of everything you might want to know about the AWA

Breeders in Michigan are also regulated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Again,
these are only the "professional breeders" (large breeders) and are only a fraction of all
the breeders in Michigan. All other breeders in Michigan are not inspected, licensed or
regulated. Here is more information:
http://www.state.mi.us/orr/emi/admincode.asp?
AdminCode=Single&Admin_Num=28500151001&Dpt=AC&RngHigh=

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(333pvcnm3q340x55h4h4x5m3))
/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-act-287-of-1969.pdf

Whether large or small, if you visit a breeder make this part of getting to know them.
Ask to see the puppy area. Look to see how clean the crates are, clean water, if the area
is smelly, do the dogs have a comfortable floor to stand on in the crate or are they on
bare wires. Are the puppies clean? Do they eliminate in their crates, and is there more
than one puppy per crate. It’s actually good if there are two puppies per crate (assuming
the crate is large enough) because it gives them more time to socialize with a litter mate,
which is vital to them starting to learn bite inhibition (which you need to continue to teach
them when you take one home).

Pay attention to mom and dad dogs, too. How often is each female used for breeding?
Personally, I suggest no more than one litter per year and no older than 5 years old (they
also should have waited until the pup was 2 years old before the dog got pregnant with the
first litter). Ask what they do with their breeding dogs when they retire.

Ask for references you can phone.

See the puppy exercise area. Preferably you are looking for a yard with grass, trees,
flowers, etc. In other words, NOT an exercise pen, but a real world environment that is
necessary for the pup's proper socialization.

How do they socialize their puppies. A puppy’s temperament is forming until they are 16
weeks old. Anything that happens up to that age - be it scary or fun - will stick with that
pup for the rest of their life. A pup should interact with 100 individual people before they
reach that 16 week mark, plus they should have had lots of exposure to multiple
environments in that time. Since you should NEVER take a puppy from their litter before
8 weeks old and they don’t have their second round of vaccinations before 10 weeks old
(parvo, etc.) you will have very little time to work in all that socialization before 16 weeks
old. Therefore, the breeder needs to do this work before you take home the puppy. If
the breeder merely keeps their pups in a crate and the only time they are handled is when
someone cleans the crate, you will have problems when the pup comes home with you. If
the breeder only exposes the dog to one person, your dog will not be adequately socialized
to people when he/she gets to your house - which might mean that when the pup is suddenly
forced to accept your family it might be so fearful for them that fear aggression rears
its ugly head. If the breeder doesn’t monitor the pups’ play time and your pup is bullying
other litter mates, you might end up with a dog aggressive toward other dogs. Or if your
pup was the one being bullied, your pup might end up fearful of other dogs - and then
there’s that fear aggression again. Ask for specifics on where, when, who and how often
your pup has been socialized.

Ask, too, about any potty training that might have been started. Some breeders don’t
start any potty training, so the pup learns to eliminate in the crate. That means that your
pup will continue to eliminate in his crate when you get him home, so don’t be surprised.
He can learn where you want him to eliminate outdoors, but if you buy the myth that a dog
will not eliminate in his crate, you will be disappointed. You can read more about house
training on this website: Potty Training Tips

If the pup has been using potty pads in the breeder’s kitchen, then the pup may be looking
for potty pads and you need to know that -- and you need to learn the proper way to teach
the pup how to use the pads in your house, because they just don’t automatically head to
the pads.

Has the breeder done any manners training with the pup? Clicker Training is so gentle
that it can be used with puppies as young as 3 weeks old.

What is the health guarantee? Are there any genetic issues you need to be aware of?
What is the return policy? A premium breeder will accept the dog back - at any age - for
any reason. Ask what that specific breeder will do. And if you are not at the breeder’s
facility when you look at the puppy, then before you accept that puppy pay a visit to the
facility. There are pet laws in most cities, most allowing 2-3 pets in a home. This means
that most breeders are located in rural areas. Many people don’t want to drive a distance
to get to a breeder’s facility, so some breeders suggest meeting at a different location.
Don’t agree to this because you then don’t see the facility, the puppy area, the mom and
dad dogs, the cleanliness, etc. And you also won’t know how to find the breeder after the
sale if they don’t answer their phone or email. I’ve seen more than one breeder disappear
after the sale, especially when the breeder knows there is a problem with that pup and
doesn't disclose it. Never never never purchase a pup over the internet unless you plan to
travel to the breeder’s facility in another town/state. Don’t allow the breeder to ship
the dog. Most good breeders wouldn’t do that anyway.

SHELTERS
Shelters are generally large city/county/state-funded facilities often combined with
Animal Control services or a large humane society. Most are required by law to accept any
animal species brought to them. Shelters are regulated at a local level by the Michigan
Department of Agriculture:
http://www.state.mi.us/orr/emi/admincode.asp?
AdminCode=Single&Admin_Num=28500151001&Dpt=AC&RngHigh=

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(333pvcnm3q340x55h4h4x5m3))
/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-act-287-of-1969.pdf

Generally you will find adult dogs at the shelters. People are required to disclose any
behavioral issues with their dog and the reason they are surrendering the dog to the
shelter. Whether these people share the truth or not - only the dog knows. Ask the
shelter anyway what they know about the dog's history/background. Read this article:
Do g Owners Hide The Truth From Shelters About Their Pets Behavioral Problems

Ask if the shelter has done any formal temperament testing. There are tests that can be
used to see if the dog is shy, a bully, fun, laid-back as well as uncovering aggression issues
such as food/toy guarding, dog/dog or dog/cat aggression, calm around children. I
recommend a shelter use the Emily Weiss SAFER program: http://www.emilyweiss.
com/safer.html. If the shelter uses physical force to see if the dog fights back, such as
suspending the dog from their collar to see if the dog fights or goes limp, staring down the
dog, forcing the dog on his side to see if he fights - get out of that shelter! They are
using antiquated and dangerous techniques, and if that dog wasn’t abused before getting
to the shelter, the dog was probably abused AT the shelter. There is NO reason
whatsoever for using physical force to temperament test a dog. And their testing may
have resulted in them sending you home with a behavioral time bomb.

It’s more uncommon to find puppies or litters of puppies at a shelter. Generally, people
tend to think they can “handle” the puppy and it’s only when the dog grows into adulthood
that they find out they don’t have the faintest idea how to teach manners to a dog - and
now the dog has become so out of control that they end up at the shelter. However,
puppies can and do end up at a shelter -- and it’s highly critical when they do. The 16 week
old temperament-forming window can be quite challenged when a puppy ends up at a
shelter. Shelters can be a scary experience for a puppy, and that can affect their ability
to tolerate general noise, or even to develop a fear of other dogs. Shelters can be short-
staffed, so the puppies won’t receive enough socialization -- or any -- while at the shelter.
They may or may not be with litter mates at a shelter, which can lead to nipping issues or
lack of socialization. The puppies may not have enough supervision so that a bully develops
out that time, and you are taking home a dog who will attack another dog out of habit. It’s
critical that a puppy get out of the shelter as quickly as possible, so find out how old the
puppy was he/she arrived at the shelter and how long the puppy has been there. The
longer the puppy has been at the shelter, the more likely that behavioral issues have
already started. Watch, too, for any genetic issues that were ignored by an irresponsible
breeder.

If the shelter uses foster homes be sure to learn about the person who did the
fostering. Their interactions can be critical to understand how your dog will interact with
you. The intentions of the foster home to save a dog might be wonderful, but if they use
choke chains, spray water, or some other form of fear, force or intimidation, your newly
adopted dog may act out at your home because of what happened in the foster home.
People who act as an intermediary caregiver should want to care enough to learn about dog
behavior. It’s nice that they care enough to love dogs, but learning about dog behavior to
ensure they don’t make behavioral missteps is essential.

RESCUES
Rescues function much like a shelter. However, a rescue organization is generally funded
strictly by 501C donations. Rescues are NOT inspected, regulated or licensed by the
Department of Agriculture - or anyone for that matter. Much like breeders, rescue
organizations can simply hang out a sign claiming to be a rescue. But they are not bound to
any animal safety standards.

Know who you are dealing with and use the information in both the above breeder and
shelter sections when considering adopting from a rescue organization. Just because they
are rescue doesn't necessarily make them good or knowledgeable for the animals in their
care.

PET STORES
This source is more tricky. Personally, I don’t believe that all pet stores are evil. Done
correctly they can be a source for putting the substandard breeders (puppy mills) out of
business. Our society has been fighting substandard breeders by trying to close pet
stores for more than 50 years, with little success of closing the puppy millers. We keep
repeating what we've been doing for 50 years with the same result, and I believe that
it's time we take a new approach designed to be successful. You know the definition of
insanity, don't you? It's repeating the same thing over and over, but expecting different
results.

I think that a GOOD pet store can help to shut down the substandard breeders when solid
regulations, inspections and licensing are put into law. However, at the moment we do not
have any regulations or licensing requirements that a good pet store can establish. Heck,
there is NO standard definition of a puppy mill! Puppy Mill is a term that is frequently
used by the HSUS yet it's never been defined by the industry or the Department of
Agriculture!! However, a good pet store owner will set his own quality standards and
require any breeders who want to work with him to also meet high quality standards.
Right now pet stores do have to be inspected and they do have to have a business license,
but there are no requirements on the breeders or brokers they do business with. That
has to change and our Department of Agriculture is the place to change it. If the
Department of Agriculture required that breeders be inspected and licensed, whether
they have one litter per year in their kitchen or 100 litters+ in a large kennel facility, plus
that the pet stores be inspected and licensed to a very specific set of puppy
requirements, those regulations will help close the existing bad breeders (puppy mills) and
also prevent new ones from opening. Until that is successfully accomplished, however,
assume that most pet stores are not one of the good guys so you need to know who you are
dealing with by doing your homework. That way you will find the good pet stores that do
exist.

The HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) claims that if everyone got their dog
from a shelter or rescue, there will be no more homeless pets - plus they claim it will put
the pet stores and substandard breeders out of business. That’s ridiculous! Less than 3%
of dogs in shelters came from a pet store. Most of the dogs in shelters came from
SUBSTANDARD OWNERS -- people who used fear, force or intimidation on their dogs ...
or did not supply the dog's basic needs for good dog food and sufficient exercises ... or
crated the dog too much because they were busy ... or purchased the dog for their child
who wasn't old enough to give proper care ... or they didn't know how to train their dog and
refused to spend money with a positive reinforcement trainer to learn how ... or they did
hire a trainer and then were too lazy to actually practice! As it stands now, there is a dog
in a shelter or rescue who is not adoptable for any number of reasons - health, behavior,
age, size, breed. There are more dogs who have already been screwed up by irresponsible
breeders or owners than there are new owners who have the time and experience to work
with the dog. So, it may be a nice goal to claim that all dogs will someday be adopted, but
it's not reality. Making that claim, though, is a great fund raiser campaign for the HSUS
so you will contribute to them. Don't contribute to the HSUS! Make that donation direct
to your local shelter or rescue group because the HSUS made $218 million in revenues
according to their 2006 tax return www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsus-2006-form-990.
pdf -- $91.5 million from public donations and $127 million in donations. $85.8 million of
that was used for salaries, benefits, travel, mailing and publications. Nothing was
allocated to any support programs or to shelters to help them keep their doors open.
Instead it was given to lobbyists! Donate locally and stop supporting the HSUS
Washington lobbyists.

Let's look at this with open eyes -- we’d have no shelters or rescues if breeders were
good, and if people purchasing dogs were truthful with themselves on their motivation for
getting a dog. We'd have no shelters or rescues if people didn't insist on wanting a puppy
because they don't want the potential emotional baggage that comes from a previously-
homed pet. But that's not the case, people are afraid to get a dog with behavioral
baggage, people do not understand that ALL DOGS NEED TRAINING WITH THEIR
CURRENT OWNERS and spending money on training should go hand-in-hand with bringing
home a new dog, plus people want puppies ... and they want to find the puppies without
having to search for a reputable breeder. Like it or not, pet stores fill a niche because
many of the breeders aren’t good -- whether large or backyard breeder -- plus the
rescues/shelters put so many restrictions on the potential owners that they chase these
people right into the arms of the pet store. For instance - one rescue that wouldn’t adopt
to a man because he was 61! The woman (in her 20’s) told this man he was too old to adopt
one of their dogs!!! Too many rescues are turning away senior citizens and these seniors
are then heading right to the pet store, getting a puppy they are not remotely prepared to
care for. The people who say that the rescues and shelters are the place to
adopt/purchase your dog, are the same people pushing these potential homes to go to the
pet stores. Pet stores have been around for a very long time and don't appear to be going
away - and they don't because they fulfill a need. So, let’s create standards for the pet
stores and license them into places of success rather than places of bad people looking to
make a quick buck.

A major problem with a pet store is that their employees cannot tell you they won’t sell a
puppy to you because they don't think you are qualified. No matter the reason - if you
have an electronic fence, or you are too old, or too busy, or really have the wrong
motivations for wanting to add a dog to your family - a retail store cannot tell you not to
purchase that dog. So YOU have to be absolutely truthful with yourself about what you
can and cannot handle with a dog in your home. Read more at: Ready For A Puppy. Never
buy a puppy for your child - it’s not up to a child to properly care for a puppy. YOU are the
adult, and YOU must make the commitment to fulfill the dog’s needs - when the dog is a
puppy as well as adulthood - through the dog’s entire lifespan.

For those people who are skeptical, I do know of a pet store that is trying to do it right.
They use only small breeders, they pick up the puppies and deliver them within 6 hours to
their store - no trucking companies are used, no taking the pups away from the breeders
before 8 weeks old. They require their breeders start clicker training the pups, they
require specific socialization rules, they visit their breeders at least twice/year, their
employees are required to have each puppy out at least two hours every day, socializing
the pups to a minimum of 3 people/day. The pups are taught the start of basic manners
while in the store. If they could, they would start potty training the pups. This store has
set high goals for themselves because they truly care about the pups.

Inspect the pet store, whether large or small, national or local, one or more stores. Look
for cleanliness, ask to meet the owner, do not purchase a dog on the first visit, ask about
their breeders, names and location - then call the BBB and several local vets near the
breeder to check on the breeder’s reputation. If you go to www.whitepages.com you can
find vets located near the breeder.

YOU are responsible for the care and well-being of that puppy for their entire life. Allow
the employee to help qualify you as the right owner. They should be the experts, and if I
had my way they would utilize a screening program to help you find the right dog, such as
the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match program: http://www.aspca.org/adoption/meet-your-
match/. The pet store should NOT make it easy for you to return the puppy. You should
have already done your homework and decided what you can/cannot handle plus have
already made a 100% commitment to caring for the dog before you ever take home that
puppy. Every time a dog is re-homed, it is emotionally stressful for the dog - and if you
re-home the dog, YOU are adding to the dog developing behavioral issues. It's not the pet
store’s responsibility for you making a bad decision. However, if you have willingly worked
with a professional positive reinforcement trainer, and you have consistently followed
that trainer's instructions, yet it’s not working -- then talk to the pet store about
returning the puppy. However, if you claim you have tried everything - because you tried
every one of your friends techniques, or you picked a force/fear/intimidation trainer, or
you really just hate to wake up in the middle of the night to take the puppy outdoors to
potty, or it’s harder than you thought it would be to care for a puppy - then I fully support
the pet store telling you to go home and be more committed.

PET ADOPTION BROKER
Broker is a bad term in the world of dogs because it is generally synonymous with puppy
mills; the brokers buy from the puppy mills. So be sure you carefully qualify the
background of a pet adoption broker. Personally, I think you should have the first-hand
experience and joy of looking for and qualifying your new dog. Or the in-your-face
experience of the grief and fear of having to re-home your dog. No middle man broker
should handle it for you. But if you do use a pet adoption broker, then ask the same
questions you would ask of a breeder, shelter or rescue because pet adoption brokers also
are not bound to inspections, regulations or licensing. A pet adoption broker should be held
responsible of knowing the dog’s background, health, temperament or behavioral issues,
any guarantee or return policy, and how to contact them if you have a problem. And
remember, too, if they are handling your dog - either to find a new home or find a dog for
you - they can also influence that dog’s behavior if they interact with them incorrectly. So
they should have studied dog behavior. Period. Not observed it by having a dog, but
actually studied behavioral materials so they know enough what not to do.

MAKING THE FINAL DECISION
Whether direct from a breeder, or working with a shelter, private rescue, or even an
adoption broker - DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Don’t just take a dog from anyone - find out
the dog’s temperament, health challenges, any behavioral issues, breeder background,
foster home environment, return policy, health guarantee, credentials of the person you
are dealing with -- as much as you can about the dog before bringing the dog into your
home. Remember, the dog doesn’t get a vote in this deal - YOU make the decision to bring
that dog to your home, so if YOU make the wrong one it’s not the fault of the dog.
Although, it always ends up being the dog’s problem to emotionally handle your decision-
making, good or not so good. So take your time, know who are dealing with, know your
limitations, and make your decision from a foundation of solid knowledge.